


Mark of Azrael

by LostAstronaut



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Fictional Religion & Theology, Grim Reapers, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Multiple Religion & Lore Sources, Suicide Attempt, angel of death - Freeform, can be mildly offensive if you are highly religious
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2019-08-29 06:39:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16738975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostAstronaut/pseuds/LostAstronaut
Summary: Sehun's whole life crumbles apart and he is left with nothing but misery. As he faces death, something happens which he did not foresee at all - he is given a second chance at life, saved by somebody who changes everything. What seemed to be a miracle, however, soon turns into a cycle of even more dread and pain.





	1. Genesis

There was silence, darkness and an alarming lack of stimuli to his senses. A void filled Sehun’s chest, spreading across his body and numbing his muscles until he gave in, shuddering as he embraced the dark, dense feeling of nothing. It remained like that for a moment, dull and uncertain, before Sehun started to feel uncomfortable. He shuddered again. What was going on?

He sat up with a jolt, feeling electricity surging through his loins, sparking his energy up to the max. He was in a cloud-like space, struggling to sit up properly. He looked down at his trembling hands, naked and scarred like the rest of his body. Where were his clothes?

“Hello?” he whispered, voice barely audible in the dimly lit area. Where was the light coming from, he wondered as he looked around. There was nothing around him.

“Hi,” a man’s voice resonated, causing Sehun to gasp and hug his body instinctively, attempting to cover up. He looked around bewilderedly, before spotting a dark figure in the distance. He couldn’t make out a facial expression, as the man had his head lowered, but there was something chilling about his presence.

“Sehun, you’ve come too early,” the man stated, and Sehun blinked while trying to remember what had happened prior to waking up here, “you went through something terrible.”

“Who are you?” Sehun asked with a worried voice, cracking at the end. His eyes were wide and set on the man’s unmoving expression.

“You can call me Kai if you want,” the creature said, and as he advanced closer, Sehun found himself gawking at him as though in a trance. He wasn’t walking, he was almost levitating. Up close like this, Sehun could make out a shape of two long wing-like structures on his back. Sehun shyly met the strong gaze of the creature — no, the _man_ — and let out a shaky exhale. He felt small like this, looking up at the man. He had an intense energy, as though he wasn’t quite human. Sehun would find it hard to believe that he _was_ human.

“Am I…” Sehun looked down at his feet, “dead?”

Kai didn’t respond. He just looked at Sehun with those piercing eyes for another moment before he turned away from him and gracefully made his way back to where he had appeared. Sehun felt a little relieved at that, as he was completely naked in front of this stranger.

“Come,” Kai ordered, “follow me.”

Sehun hesitated, feeling his stomach tighten as he pulled himself up on his feet, cupping his crotch and looking down at his feet in shame as he walked. Sehun’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, as he registered no physical floor under his feet.

“Hurry, Sehun, you have limited time,” Kai explained without turning around and facing him. Sehun tried to keep up.

“Where are you taking me?” Sehun asked, before adding, “What exactly are you?”

“I’m returning you where you rightfully belong,” Kai muttered, stopping in front of what seemed to be an oval-shaped bright light.

What kind of cryptic answer was that?

Sehun had never felt so confused in his whole life, but he made his way towards the light with no protest. Kai’s eyes were glued onto Sehun’s like magnets.

“Is this gonna take me to heaven?” Sehun asked finally, glancing at Kai.

“No,” he responded humourlessly with no further explanation, “you will see.”

His warm hand landed on Sehun’s bared upper back as he coaxed him towards what must be some kind of portal.

“Wait!” Sehun gasped, “I’m not ready, I can’t do this,” he begged stupidly, eyes pleading as he searched for any hint of humanity in Kai’s dark gaze.

“You’ll be fine,” Kai sighed, “you’re on borrowed time. Now go before it’s too late.”

With one last deep breath, Sehun entered the bright portal, his body being swallowed by the bright rays of light and pulling him into another world.

 

***

 

A headache. Pounding, throbbing, painful, headache. A sore stomach and a dry throat. Every muscle in his body aching. That’s what Sehun woke up to, his body flinching.

“He’s moving,” somebody remarked, and Sehun’s eyes fluttered open to reveal a bright, blurry room.

“Sehun?” a gentle voice asked accompanied by a nudge to his shoulder. He could recognise that voice anywhere.

“Mom,” he croaked, blinking to clear his vision, “help.”

“It’s alright honey, you’re gonna be okay,” she promised while stroking his cheek calmly, and Sehun’s eyes spotted a row of worried faces over her shoulder. He could see the outline of his father and his older brother and his girlfriend, even his grandmother.

“What… happened,” he whispered, managing to raise his hand to rub his eyes.

“Sehun,” his father started, “let’s talk about it afterwards, okay? We’ll tell you everything but you need to get some rest first. Everyone is safe now, including you. All you need to focus on is healing.”

Sehun licked his dry lips as the doors opened and a doctor stepped in with a bright smile on her face. He reckoned he had been knocked out for quite a while.

“How you feeling, champ?” she asked, as his family members made space for her to come through and check his IV drip. Sleepiness began to take over his body again, and he could only hum in response before his eyelids became too heavy to keep open. He felt sleep take over him again.

 

 

The following days were a blur. He spent most of his time sleeping, and when he was awake nobody wanted to talk about what had happened. He had a strange feeling of guilt, as though they were hiding something from him out of pity. Whatever he had done, it must have played a major part in all of this.

“I have the right to know,” he finally said one day, catching his mother off guard, “I need to know what happened.”

She looked troubled in her seat by his hospital bed. Her eyes were saddened, and it made Sehun want to scream. He _had_ to know.

“Sehun, my dearest, please listen to me carefully,” she says with a gentle tone. Lately, everybody spoke to him in that way, as if he was some fragile little kid, “You did something incredibly dangerous that night, and it breaks my heart to even think about it. It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, I just… have to be careful, you know? It’s not something you take lightly.”

Sehun gulped and nodded, his bangs falling into his eyes. He leaned against the headboard, taking a deep breath, “I’m ready.”

She told him everything.

 

***

 

The night was young as Sehun stepped out on one of the balconies of the hospital. There were bars on the railing, of course. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t be allowed out here alone. He hugged his robe close to his body, the wind cool against his skin. It felt strange when his mother had confirmed his suspicions that day, but he wasn’t at all surprised. Just ashamed that he had caused all of this mess by himself. It wasn’t fair to anybody who had been involved, having to go through the shock of it all, the expenses and the trauma. There was a graveyard visible across the road, and Sehun wondered if he would’ve ended up there if he had passed away that night. He frowned a little at the sight of the numerous headstones. No, he didn’t really want to think about death right now.

Life wasn’t fair, Sehun had been told. Life was a gift that he had been granted from the universe. In nineteen years he could've died at any moment, but here he was, well and alive. He swallowed, a bitter frown forming on his face. Why did he get to live when Luciel didn’t?

He shuddered, drawing his robe closer to his body and turning to walk back inside. Just when he was about to walk inside again, his body was paralysed with fear and he let out a cry.

“You again,” he gasped, spotting the tall, ghostly figure from his dream, clad in black. This time Kai's hood was up, like the grim reaper himself. Is that who he was? The grim reaper? But he didn't have wings, did he?

Kai was standing on the edge of the balcony, his face mirroring the confusion in Sehun’s.

“You can see me?” he asked with a puzzled look, showing the first sign of emotion Sehun had seen in him.

“Yes!” Sehun shrieked, clutching the front of his robe right above his heart, “how did you even get up here!?”

Kai scratched the top of his head, pulling his eyes away from Sehun and instead looked intently at the view of the city. He seemed more human like this, with the exception of his claw-like wings. Sehun stepped closer to him, hesitantly.

“Well, that’s a bit problematic,” Kai finally said, “I’m pretty sure I’m invisible to your kind.”

“What does this mean?” Sehun asked.

“Well,” Kai said quietly, “I actually have no idea, Sehun.”

The two went quiet as Sehun tried to process what had just happened. The dream had been real?

“Am I… tripping?” Sehun asked, reaching his hand out to touch Kai’s hand. He felt warm, alive, human. He felt real.

“I’m definitely not a hallucination if that’s what you’re trying to say,” Kai snorted, pulling his hood down to reveal his whole face now, his dark hair framing it beautifully. It almost took Sehun’s breath away.

“You have no idea how many pills I am on right now,” Sehun huffed, “and I don’t trust you. You could just be a fragment of my dreams.”

“True,” Kai sighed, leaning against the railing, and looking straight into Sehun’s eyes again. It made him blush profusely, lowering his head.

“Are you scared I'll kill you or something?” Kai asked with amusement in his voice, “You keep looking away.”

“You're asking _me_ if I'm scared of death,” Sehun mumbled.

Something shifted in Kai’s eyes at that moment and all the humanity was wiped away in an instant. He returned to his stoic, dark persona and turned his back towards Sehun.

“I knew I shouldn’t have saved you,” he spat, and with the blink of an eye, he disappeared without a trace, leaving Sehun’s heart to suffocate in yet another layer of guilt.


	2. Penalty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed Lucas name in the last chapter to Luciel because I don't want him to be mixed up with Lucas from NCT!
> 
> Thank you guys for leaving kudos and comments! I appreciate it a lot <3

He didn’t stay long in the hospital after that, being released later that same week. The following three months were a pain, to say the least. Therapists he could deal with, but the guilt of hurting his family was overwhelming. He had known his family would be devastated, but didn't foresee having to personally comfort them. Things were very confusing for a while.

Autumn passed in a blur. Before he knew it, things had returned to normal and Sehun was coaxed back into his old life. His peers were still on guard, but nothing was out of the ordinary in the rest of the world. It wasn’t long before Sehun returned to college either, at his own request. He had been advised to take a proper break but insisted that studying and routines were crucial for his well-being, which was true. Bit by bit, his life was reconstructed and remodelled until it somewhat resembled something stable.

“You’re back!” Sehun was greeted with when he arrived outside their dorm, finding himself being wrapped in two strong arms that pulled him into a big, warm hug despite the questioning stares of other students in the building.

“Chanyeol,” Sehun laughed, the taller man’s dark hair tickling the side of his face as he returned the embrace, “this is embarrassing.”

“Oh shut up, people should be jealous of you,” Chanyeol’s deep voice responded with an unbothered grin before he pulled away and looked Sehun up and down, eyes filled with curiosity and interest. That was one of the things Sehun loved about him — he was always genuine.

Sehun couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face as it hit him just how much he had missed catching up with the other.

He shut the door behind himself and placed his duffel bag on his old bed, sitting down with a breathy sigh as he glanced around in the old room which hadn’t changed much.

“Your hair,” Chanyeol remarked, eyes on the top of Sehun’s head, “you dyed it brown again.”

It was a rich, warm shade of brown, which Sehun had hoped would bring out some of the warmth in his cool skin tone. Sehun kicked his shoes off one by one.

“Yeah,” he ran his hands through his new hair calmly, “new year, new me. How are classes?”

“Nothing new, actually…” Chanyeol rubbed his chin as if he was planning to add something before he let out a long sigh and sat down next to Sehun on his bed. It felt a little invasive, how close he was.

“You’re sure everything is fine?” he asked, after a moment, “I was worried, I mean, you just... left for three months.”

Sehun nodded his head thoughtfully, looking straight into Chanyeol’s worried eyes.

“Yeah, I'm fine now. You don’t have to worry about me,” he reassured him, before pulling his legs up to cross them, “Now tell me how it’s going with Rebecca.”

 

***

 

They soon fell into old habits and later that evening Chanyeol headed to for the first house party of the new semester while Sehun stayed inside the dorm, just like the old days. Chanyeol didn’t try to push him when he said no, but he made Sehun promise to make it up by coming with him some other time. Chanyeol had informed him that his friends were excited to meet him but Sehun thought he'd rather see them around at campus or in classes, as he wasn't really in the mood to party.

He was all alone now in their small dorm. It felt surreal, Sehun thought as he paced the room, a jolt of excitement running through his body. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t been granted alone time back home with his parents, but it felt like his family members were always nearby and or around the corner. This was the first time in months that he allowed himself to feel completely and utterly alone, free to do anything he wanted without anybody monitoring him.

It had been a long day, and he was soon curled up in bed and ready to sleep. couldn't describe why, but it felt so good to be back here. He hadn’t exactly missed this miserable place where he had spent the majority of his time moping around and complaining, but there was something about the freedom of it that made Sehun feel content and relieved. Nobody expected anything grand of him here. All he had to focus on was studying and keeping up with the workload.

He had barely shut his eyes when an urgent knock startled him, making him sit up with alert eyes.

“Open up, Park!” a man's voice yelled, and Sehun held his breath, unable to move a muscle, “We need to talk!”

With an uneasy feeling in his chest, he shimmied out of his covers and pushed himself onto his feet. Taking slow, uncertain steps, he approached the door in the dark, reaching his hand out to pull it open.

“Don’t open it,” a stern voice ordered, emerging right behind Sehun and causing him to gasp in shock. He spun around at once, only to come face to face with a familiar, ominous silhouette and the outline of sharp, strong facial features. Sehun’s jaw almost dropped at the sight of him so close to his own face, causing him to step away in shock. He was at a loss for words, dumbfounded for a brief moment as he took in Kai’s overwhelming aura.

“Why not?” he squealed, jumping as the knocks grew louder in sound. Kai didn’t even flinch.

“They’re not here for you,” he answered in a calm, collected manner, “it’s not worth getting involved. Stay silent and they will leave.”

The knocks and the voices outside remained persistent for another minute or so while Sehun nervously reached out to grab a pair of scissors from his desk, ready to defend himself if they would somehow break into the dorm. Kai stared at him, and Sehun tried not to feel as pathetic as he must have looked.

As the knocks seized and footsteps ebbed out, Sehun allowed himself to glance at Kai again. He was still staring at Sehun.

“Relax, they’re gone,” Kai exclaimed and started to unlace the front of his cloak, pulling the hood down swiftly. Underneath it he looked much less intimidating, his hair was tousled and his eyes were visibly tired as he slowly made his way towards Sehun and Chanyeol's shared desk, facing the window.

“So, uh,” Sehun coughed as he put the scissors back down, “you’re back?”

“Yes,” Kai nodded, a distant gaze set somewhere among the stars in the sky outside and with his back towards Sehun, “and I’m assuming you have questions.”

“I have plenty.”

Kai took a deep breath and Sehun sat down on his bed again.

“Fine, I’ll answer them,” Kai said monotonously, “but not now because we need to fix something first. I've made a mistake.”

Sehun felt his stomach twist at the sound of that, pulling on his sleeves in an anxious manner. The familiar feeling of guilt made its way into his chest, remembering Kai’s last words to him during their latest encounter so many months ago.

_I knew I shouldn’t have saved you._

“Is this because I’m… not dead?” Sehun asked quietly.

Kai turned around and faced him with an expressionless look.

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“Why did you do it then?” Sehun hung his head and looked away. He didn’t understand any of this, “I didn’t ask you to save me so why did you?”

Kai exhaled slowly, beginning to pace around the room slowly. His eyes studied the interior of their dimly lit dorm; white walls, a desk overflowing with books, boring and neutral coloured furniture.

“I’ve seen many deaths unfold,” he said, stopping before Sehun and facing him directly. Sehun gulped and looked up at him from where he was seated, “I’ve seen the most inhumane murders, rape, torture, betrayal, kids and babies dying before they’ve ever lived, hidden corpses that were never found, grief beyond what you can comprehend… I’ve seen it all, Sehun. And yet _you_ , who willingly walked into death with every intention of dying, was granted a second chance at life,” he scoffed, “there are many people who deserve that way more than you do.”

Sehun rose to his feet, eyebrows furrowed and fists clenched tightly.

“I asked you _why!_ Why me?”

“I was ordered to save you. It’s not like I would willingly break the laws for some human I don’t even know, but one of the angels has a _thing_ for you and he happens to be one of the highest ranked. That loser said he’d personally get me kicked out of the realm if I didn’t obey him, so I did. Now it turns out I’m in deep shit and he sure as hell isn’t gonna take responsibility for any of this. Hence, I need your help to undo the damage. Does that clear things up?”

Sehun could barely breathe. Was any of this real? He backed away from Kai, hands trembling as he tried not to tear up.

“I didn’t ask for any of this,” he whispered, defeatedly slumping down on his bed again.

“Good, then come with me and let’s clear this up,” Kai sighed, “You’re still okay with dying, right?”

Sehun’s eyes widened, and he froze. Kai was planning on 'undoing the damage' by letting Sehun die.

“No,” he said blankly.

“ _What?_ ”

“You heard me,” he looked down at his hands, “I want to live... For my family. And for my friends.”

“Do you even realise who you’re talking to?” Kai clenched his jaw, “I fucking lead people to their death. This is non-negotiable.”

“Good for you, Kai, but I won't consent to this,” Sehun frowned, “if you’re gonna kill me, so be it. But I will _not_ have my family believe I committed suicide after all the trouble they went through trying to bring me back to a normal life. My blood will be on your hands. It will be murder,” he shrugged.

Kai looked more annoyed than convinced.

“For the love of God,” Kai hissed, before adjusting his cloak with a deep frown, “What does that loser even see in you? Come on, we need to leave.”

“Where are we going?”

Kai groaned and yanked Sehun’s arm so he stood up and stumbled forward, nearly knocking his head into Kai’s.

“We’re gonna teleport, so hold on to my arm. Don’t let go until I say so, got it?”

As soon as Kai had finished his sentence, his face turned stoic and he spun around, facing the door. Within seconds, Sehun could hear a pair of footsteps approaching.

“ _Chanyeol_ ,” he whispered and Kai glanced at him, “my roommate!”

“Hope he won’t miss you too much,” Kai muttered and pulled Sehun close to his own chest without any warning as a sudden light emerged around Kai, wrapping Sehun into its forceful pull and numbing his senses as he was engulfed with the bright, blinding glow. He gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes shut, everything around him disappearing out of his vision as he allowed himself to be transported away from his own, safe dorm room.


	3. Tactics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will have a lot of new information so if anything is confusing just let me know in a comment!
> 
> Enjoy :3

Sehun woke up with a startle. Panic quickly washed over his body and he sat up with a gasp, freezing as he took in his new surroundings. He was in the middle of the marble floor of a large, ballroom with high ceilings which were painted in a way that screamed luxury and wealth. Mighty chandeliers hung from above and intricate carvings adorned the walls, forming sculptures and flowers and faces he did not recognise. There was a bed next to him, large and fit for a king, with expensive fabric draped from the rack that framed its edges.

Where the hell was he? Sehun’s eyes flickered as he struggled to take it all in. He should’ve never followed Kai, Sehun realised with a bitter frown. But then again, did he get much of a choice?

With his breath stolen from his lungs, he shakily pulled himself up onto his feet. Ignoring the slight dizziness in his head, he stumbled towards the window at the edge of the giant room. His mouth gaped open as he took in the view outside of what seemed to be a large courtyard with impressive fountains and an abundance of flowers. He must’ve died and somehow gone to heaven, he decided and took a deep breath to ease the stiffness in his body. Only then did he notice the stark difference in the _air_ itself. It was as though the air was easier on the lungs, delicate and gentle on it’s way in and out.

“What the flying fuck,” he cursed, feeling lightheaded as he spun around, seeking some sort of exit. He located a grand door which was wide open and lead out to what seemed to be an empty hallway.

_Perfect_.

With a quiet jog, he headed out of the room and entered the hallway, now slowing down and trying desperately to seek a way out of where he was. He jumped at the sight of himself in a luxurious mirror, before breaking into a sprint. The hallway was long, with all its numbered doors locked. He didn’t know why he was running, but the lack of people started to overwhelm him. He needed to find somebody.

“Kai?” he shrieked, voice failing him as it came out barely audible, “Kai, Kai!”

“Chill out, human boy,” a young woman’s voice erupted from one of the doorways, “he just went into his room.”

Sehun halted in his tracks abruptly, mouth hanging open as he now was faced with a tall, thin woman in the doorway of the room next to him. Her skin was visually flawless and her eyes were curious as she looked Sehun up and down. She wore a short, black dress and sandals, long brown hair pulled into a ponytail and her face looked mildly amused. Sehun’s eyes fell on the beige wings that spread from her back.

“Where is his room?” Sehun asked quietly, a little out of breath, “and… why is nobody else here?”

“They’re on duty, probably. People here don’t have many holidays,” she shrugged, a playful smile spreading on her lips, “Do you even know what _we_ are?”

“You’re… angels?” he hesitated, not quite sure about that himself, “Am I in heaven?”

She was about to answer when her eyes flickered towards somewhere behind Sehun and her face lit up into a smirk, “Speak of the devil.”

Sehun turned around and nearly gasped. Kai, whose cloak was off for once, was clad in a silky black jumpsuit as he walked towards them, sleeves cut off to reveal a pair of strong, bronze biceps. He had a prominent tattoo on his upper arm, a crest with a skull inside of it. Kai’s dark wings were neatly folded and tucked in behind his back, barely visible from the front. Sehun found himself thinking that if Kai was human, he’d definitely be very popular among the girls and, well, everybody. When he glanced at the woman by his side as she welcomed Kai with a suggestive smile, he realised this might just be the case here too.

“There you are,” he said, clearly annoyed as he joined the other two and directing a grimace towards Sehun, “didn’t I put you in a guest room? Why’d you think you can just strut around like a dog without a leash?”

Sehun could not think of a reply, being more than a little shaken by everything going on. He just stared at Kai, and then at the woman. They stared back at him.

“So this is the boy you're giving away to Hector?” the woman asked with genuine interest on her face as she inspected Sehun, “He’s very pretty.”

Kai snorted at that, “I don't have time for this, Valerie,” he dismissed her before turning towards Sehun with a bored face expression, “come on, doll face. Let’s get this over with.”

“No way!” Sehun gasped, “you’re bringing me back home right now! You can’t just kidnap me and take me to heaven!”

“This isn’t heaven,” Valerie laughed, “stop causing ruckus, you’ll get us in trouble.”

“Then where am I!?”

“You’re in Azrael’s realm,” Kai explained impatiently, “in the dorm building for resident demi-angels. We are part angel, part-human, assisted to accompany the dead to the afterlife.”

Sehun could feel panic bubbling up in his chest, taking over his sensibility for a moment.  
“Take me home again!” he shouted, “I don’t wanna do this!”

“Hey!” a new, deep voice interfered, “what’s going on over there?”

The three of them froze, the two demi-angels exchanging looks.

Valerie groaned, “Great, now we’re in trouble.”

Sehun’s eyes fell on a very tall, well-built man who approached them quickly, his golden hair surrounding his strong face and his black wings elevating his plain look to something supernaturally beautiful. His green eyes landed on Sehun and his mouth formed an _o_ -shape as if he recognised him. Kai stepped in front of Sehun, blocking him from the man’s burning eyes.

“Hector,” Kai forced through gritted teeth, “I brought something for you.”

“I can see that,” the man, Hector, responded, “you’ve done well, Kai. Hand him over.”

“Not so fast,” Kai spat, “My position here has been threatened because of you. I got a strike for breaking the rules, and you've been ignoring it. I expect you to clear this shit up.”

“Oh, or what?” Hector laughed, his perfect teeth almost blindingly white.

He looked like he couldn’t give half a care about anybody other than himself, and it made Sehun feel a bit sick. If this was the man who had taken interest in him… Sehun could only wonder how on earth he had attracted this man. He was hot, inarguably, but Sehun knew better than to throw himself into his arms because of that.

Kai clenched his jaw, and Sehun had to look down at the back of Kai’s head because Hector’s stare was becoming a bit too much.

“They’ll fire me. I’ll be… nothing,” Kai said quietly, “do it and I’ll let you have Sehun all for yourself.”

“I’m sure he’ll come to me on his own,” Hector smirked, and ran a hand through his golden hair, his intense gaze finding Sehun’s, “Hello, Sehun, we meet at last. I haven’t been able to formally greet you before. You see, us _real_ angels can’t enter the human realm, but a demi-angel would have no problem teleporting to and from the realms. Isn’t that right, Kai?” his grin widened.

“Well, he’s here now. Like you asked for,” Valerie said while crossing her arms over her chest, “is it that hard for you to hold up your end of the bargain? Or are you just scared of talking to the big guys? You pussy!”

“Shouldn’t you be in Gabriel’s territory, you annoying bitch?” Hector groaned, before turning his attention towards Kai, “I take it your plan was to get him here in order to use him as bait. Nice try. You know what, Kai? There are plenty of other demi-angels who could serve me.”

“My _plan_ ,” Kai spat, “is to either bait him out to you or to send him back to death in order to restore the damage. Either way, I will clear my name. You can choose how.”

“If you kill him, I _will_ personally have you beheaded by the sword of Archangel Michael,” Hector said in an unamused tone, before shooting an angry glare at Sehun and reaching his hand out, “Come, Sehun. Life in the angelic domain is far better than anything that the pathetic human realm could ever offer. Or Azrael’s too, for the matter.”

“I’m not some princess,” Sehun, who had just found his voice, hissed, to which he earned an approving look from Valerie, “none of you have the right to be toying me around. I don’t want part of any of this and I don’t understand why you’re targeting _me_.”

“He wants to get in your pants and that’s it,” Kai muttered before turning back to face Sehun, gently adding, “Let’s take you back home.”

Hector yelled out something in return, but Kai had already grabbed Sehun and pushed him into the sphere of blinding light with no warning. He let himself be transported again.

 

***

 

They landed outside Sehun and Chanyeol’s dorm, Kai standing perfectly straight and Sehun stumbling and falling to the ground with a loud gasp. Kai didn’t even try to help as Sehun pushed himself to sit up, back against the wall as he let his head rest against it and breathed heavily.

“Explain,” Sehun demanded breathlessly, giving Kai a death glare, “explain what the fuck just happened. Weren’t you gonna trade my life to fix your _mistake_ or some shit? And who the hell was that!”

The demi-angel in front of him looked tired, his face scrunching up in what seemed like deep thoughts as his shoulders slumped a little. He took a moment before answering.

“You’re being watched,” he said, quietly, “every day, angels like Hector watch over the living. He’s been into you for a couple months now, it’s not the first time it’s happened to him. Sometimes angels fall in love with humans, it’s not that weird. What’s weird is acting upon these affections and making connections between humans and angels. You and I…” he frowned, “we can talk. I don’t know how that happened, but I guess something went wrong when I brought you back to life. I can even touch you now.”

“But why did you even save me in the first place? Why not just let me die and then he could, I don’t know, see me in heaven? Wasn’t that your plan anyway?”

“No,” Kai said, his face slowly returning to it’s usual, stoic form. Sehun wondered if there was something in the human world which sucked out his life force or something because he hadn’t looked this exhausted when they had been in Azrael's realm, “once you’ve been lead to your death, you’re officially out of the picture for us. He won’t be able to contact you once you’re on the other side. And now that I think about it, you're probably more useful alive than dead. But of course, that depends on if Hector wants to bring it up with the archangels or not because from what it looks like, he hasn’t even talked to anybody about this yet.”

Sehun rubbed his temples, feeling a massive headache forming as he let out a shaky exhale. He was too tired to even question the validity of anything being said to him right now.

“So he can see us right now?” Sehun asked.

“Fortunately for you, he can’t watch over demi-angels,” Kai explained, giving Sehun a blank look, “As long as you’re with me he won’t be able to see very much of you. It sort of… distorts the view when two types of entities collide. Don’t talk about any of this unless you’re with me, okay? The angels will hear.”

“I thought you could enter this realm because you’re a half-human,” Sehun asked, feeling more lost than ever, “are you here but in a different dimension?”

“Something like that.”

“Okay,” Sehun frowned, “could you explain the whole realm concept because it’s really confusing.”

A thud came from inside of the dorm room, and Sehun held his breath. Had Chanyeol heard them speaking? Sehun wondered if any of this information was confidential, but quickly decided he wanted to keep Chanyeol out of this either way. His roommate wouldn't believe any of it anyway, especially since he couldn't even see Kai.

“There is a ranking system, a hierarchy. The highest ranked is the archangelic realm, where the seven archangels reside. That’s where you’ll find Azrael. In the upper angelic realm, you have entitled idiots like Hector who basically keep track of things and make sure it’s running smoothly, or that's what they're _supposed_ to do at least. Lastly, you have the seven lower-angelic realms, for us that have been marked by an archangel. Valerie, who you saw earlier, is marked by archangel Gabriel, and hence belongs in Gabriel’s realm,” he paused and gave Sehun a funny look, “your roommate is about to open this door. You should move out the way.”

Sehun barely had time to react, sitting up properly with panic spreading across his face. Despite the warning, he was startled when the door flew open, flinching and looking up at Chanyeol’s towering figure with wide eyes.

“Sehun?” he asked, voice hoarse, “Who were you talking to?”

The kneeling boy grimaced as the distinct smell of alcohol hit his nose, before turning around to see if Kai was still there or not. To Sehun’s surprise, he hadn’t moved, busy with observing Chanyeol with an unreadable look.

“Nobody, you’re just… drunk,” Sehun let out, before pushing himself up to his feet, almost tripping as he tried to steady himself, still dizzy from the teleportation. He gasped out loud when he felt Kai’s steady grip on his shoulder, Sehun’s face flushing as he mentally cursed himself out for being so jumpy.

“Yeah, sorry,” Chanyeol chuckled, before ushering Sehun through the door. He could feel Kai’s eyes on the back of his neck before the door shut behind him and Sehun let out a long, deep breath.


	4. Jude 1:6

Questions. Sehun’s head was full of them, spinning, twirling around his thoughts the whole night and during the following morning. It was incredibly distracting as he tried to get through the first morning of classes for the spring term. Sitting in the tiny café at the campus with Chanyeol had sounded like a good way to get his mind off the events from last night, but that had been easier said than done. With a deep breath, Sehun straightened his posture and allowed himself to wrap his hands around the warm coffee cup.

“Are you listening?” Chanyeol asked, grabbing Sehun’s attention at once.

Feeling a faint flush spread across his cheeks, he realised he had essentially zoned out for the last part of their conversation, distracted by his thoughts.

“Sorry, I’m just stressed over philosophy,” he muttered, realising how stupid that must sound. Philosophy was hardly a stressful class, and he saw Chanyeol raise his eyebrows in question. Sehun picked up his cup of coffee and sipped it carefully, eyes anxiously looking around the cafeteria.

“You seem really on edge,” Chanyeol said with a frown, “but as I was just saying, I was thinking of getting Rebecca a ball-gag for her birthday, she always liked those.”

“When’s her birthday again?” Sehun asked,

“Next Tuesday,” Chanyeol grinned, “you know what that means, right?”   
Sehun rolled his eyes as he took another sip from his coffee, the familiar taste reminding him of dreadful mornings before exams and late nights with essays and reports.

“It means I’ll have to go to her party,” Sehun sighed defeatedly, “as you wish.”

“That’s right,” his grin spread wider, “and you’ll love it.”

As his taller friend started discussing the planning of the party, Sehun found himself zoning out again, eyes glued to his nearly emptied mug. There were a few things he knew for certain. Kai was very much real. And he had taken Sehun with him to the angelic sphere. Angels were apparently real and had different roles and realms, even dorms. He knew that Hector had a crush on him and that he may very well be watching him right now.

_ Or when he’s naked. _

Sehun shook his head to rid of that thought, nearly shuddering.

These were things he knew, but that was nothing compared to what he didn’t know.

What was Hector’s motive? Did he seriously think that Sehun would leave his life just to go and live with him? Was that even allowed in the angelic spheres? And why had he taken a liking for _Sehun_ out of all people on earth? How had Kai become a demi-angel? Was he born or created?  
Speaking of things he didn’t know…

“Chanyeol,” he blurted out, cutting the other’s sentence in half as he interrupted him, “something happened last night.”

Chanyeol stared at Sehun with raised eyebrows, seeming a little taken back by the abruptness of the statement.

“Really? What happened?”

Sehun bit his lower lip, trying to formulate a proper way to ask this.  
“There were people at the door, knocking,” he started before he felt a firm hand press against his shoulder in a warning manner. Sehun shot a glare in Kai's direction. So this was how it's gonna be from now? He could just show up unannounced?

“Didn’t I tell you to _stay out of this_?” Kai’s annoyed voice remarked, giving Sehun a disgusted look up and down. Sehun, suppressing his frustration, tried to appear as normal as he could before Chanyeol. He really hadn’t sensed Kai’s presence at all, so how had he just appeared out of thin air at this exact moment?

“And then what?”

Sehun shrugged Kai's hand off.

“They were asking for you,” he said quickly, ignoring Kai’s hard glare, “and they were really aggressive. They said they needed to talk to you, Chanyeol. Who were they?”

Chanyeol’s face didn’t even move, as if this didn’t surprise him at all. He leaned back against his seat with a deep sigh, shaking his head.

“No idea,” he said, but Sehun had a feeling he did.

 

 

 

“So what, you’re just gonna follow me around anywhere you feel like now?” Sehun asked out loud, hurrying through the hallway on his way to the philosophy lecture. He held his phone against his ear, as if he was on the line with somebody, not wanting people to think he was talking to himself since apparently only he could see Kai.

“No, we've both been called in for a meeting with the higher angels,” Kai explained as he walked next to him, ignoring Sehun's questioning look.

"And why is that?" Sehun asked sourly.

“No clue, but I can't imagine it's for a good reason," Kai shrugged before adding "God, your roommate is so annoying. But he only has two more months to go so I guess you won’t be rooming with him for much longer.”

Sehun stopped with a gasp, eyes wide as he stared at Kai in disbelief.

“What the hell did you just say?” he whispered, unable to think properly. His body was frozen.

Kai looked at him with a raised eyebrow, “Whoops?”

Sehun’s jaw dropped.

“This isn’t some joke to me, this is my only fucking friend’s life!” he shrieked, body trembling as he forced himself to blink the tears away, “How _dare_ you tell me something like that, you know how much he means to me.”

Kai gave him an unreadable look, tilting his head as if the thought hadn’t crossed his mind until now. Sehun reached his hands out and gave him a hard shove against his chest, pushing him as hard as he could. Kai didn’t even flinch, but he took a step back.

“Fine,” Kai sighed, and Sehun bawled his fists up, “that was a bit unnecessary. But in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly used to casual conversations with humans,” he scratched the back of his head and looked away, “it slipped my mind. Sorry, I guess.”

“No,” Sehun wiped his nose that had become runny, sniffling before he added, “sorry doesn’t fix this.”

“Oh come on, Sehun, don’t be like this,” Kai’s eyes looked panicked, and if Sehun hadn’t known better he would’ve mistaken it for worry, “stop crying, people are staring.”

“So,” Sehun started as if he hadn’t heard Kai’s plea, “you can just see people’s lifespan? When do I die?” Sehun asked as his tears fell down his cheeks.

Kai frowned and stepped closer, hesitantly stopping right in front of Sehun and pulling the sleeve of his cloak up to swat Sehun’s tears away with no hint of kindness.  
“Your time is already up,” he explained simply, “your lifespan officially ended when you were supposed to die. I can’t see how much time you have left.”

Sehun noticed people giving him funny looks over Kai’s shoulder, and he grabbed Kai’s long sleeve to wipe some of the new tears away, before shoving his arm away again.  
“I have philosophy now,” Sehun muttered and turned away to walk towards the lecture hall. Kai followed behind him, quiet and invisible to the rest of the world around him.

 

“I didn’t have time to correct your essays over the Christmas holidays, unfortunately,” the professor said in a monotonous voice as he set up the projector, clearing his throat, “teachers have lives too.”

Sehun was seated in the middle of the lecture hall, near the side. His favoured spot had been somewhere near the front, but he didn’t want to gather too much attention today. Besides, his eyes were a bit swollen after having cried only a few minutes prior. He adjusted his reading glasses and typed in his password to his laptop.

“What a lame class,” Kai muttered from his seat one row behind Sehun’s, and he only sighed in response. There was no point in trying to convince Kai to leave. It would only make Sehun look like a weirdo to the others in the room. He clenched his jaw and logged into his school account.

“Last semester, we focused mainly on the Greek philosophers,” the professor continued, “This year, I’ve planned on broadening the perspective a little. We’re gonna start by looking at Martin Heidegger and his book _Being and Time._ ”

Sehun typed away on his notes, listening attentively as the lecture went through his philosophical ideas. As he was in the middle of a summary, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He froze and turned his head to the side a tiny bit, glaring up at Kai.

“Are you mad at me?”

Sehun didn’t bother replying and turned back to focus on his work. He had barely typed one sentence when he felt another tap. Ignoring the anger that was boiling up in his stomach, he stubbornly continued writing.

“Hey, dollface,” Kai hissed, “don’t ignore me.”

Unbothered, Sehun opened up a new tab and typed in the website address to the school site. The new assignment instructions were probably uploaded there, he thought, trying very hard to concentrate on anything but the presence of the demi-angel behind him.

 

Luckily, Kai didn't bother him any more during that lecture. After about an hour of uninterrupted concentration, it ended and Sehun packed his things up. He halted in his movements when he looked at the seat behind him. The seat where Kai had previously sat was empty and Kai was nowhere to be seen.

"Jesus," Sehun muttered as he got up from his seat and walked out of the lecture hall, unsure if he should feel relieved or concerned.


	5. Inquisition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, but I'm back! (after 6 months T~T) My computer broke and I had to get it repaired. I've also had a lot in my classes, but now I should be able to update regularly :)  
> Comments and kudos are highly appreciated as always <3

As soon as the class ended, he left the school building and made his way towards the campus cafeteria. Wherever Kai had gone, Sehun was just happy that he had left him alone for a moment to think. Still a little uncertain as to what to do about Chanyeol, he found himself biting at his lower lip anxiously as he walked. If what Kai had said was true, it meant he had no choice but to just stand by and count down the days until his friend would die. Sehun’s heart ached at the thought alone. No, he clenched his textbook tighter to his chest. There was no way in hell he was gonna let Chanyeol die. If anybody deserved to live, it was Chanyeol.

 

He allowed himself to get lost in his thoughts again after he finished paying for the sandwich and unwrapped it as he walked back to his dorm building. Kai was a demi-angel — wasn't there any way Sehun could utilise that to his advantage? Hadn’t Kai brought Sehun himself back to life just a few months ago? An idea started forming in his mind, and Sehun’s heartbeat increased wildly. It was stupidly brilliant.

  
  
  


 

He had just unlocked the door to his dorm when he heard a voice clear their throat.

“ _What_?” he asked, turning around with a scowl, not surprised to see a tall, cloaked figure standing in the hallway. These sudden appearances of the demi-angel were becoming less and less pleasant.

“We need to go now,” he said with an unbothered voice, “they have called us in for a hearing.”

“The higher Angels?” Sehun asked. He had his hand left on the door handle, unsure if he should walk inside or shut it as he waited for an answer.

“Yeah, they’re gonna ask you some questions before they seal your fate,” he said in the same bland tone as he reached his hand out towards Sehun, “take my hand.”

Sehun’s grip on the handle tightened and his scowl deepened.

“ _Sealing my fate_ doesn’t sound any different from assigning my death sentence,” he said firmly, “and I don’t wanna die.”

“You don’t have a choice, human,” he said, and the emphasis he put on the word _human_ made it very clear that he didn’t think of Sehun as an equal, “take my hand.”

“I don’t trust you,” Sehun shook his head, “you’ll throw me under the bus to save yourself at any given chance, as you did with Hector.”

Kai let out a sigh. Sehun gasped as Kai slid right past him and into the dorm room. Gulping, he walked inside too and shut the door behind himself.

“I don’t think they’ll let you go back here,” Kai said, hands clasped together behind his back and underneath his wings, “the higher Angels will not consider Hector’s… feelings for you when making decisions. This means they’ll either let you back into the human world or let you pass through to the afterlife.”

Sehun’s heart made quick, worried beats as Kai paused and walked around the dorm room, seeming lost in thoughts.

“Unless…” Kai started, before frowning intensely and shaking his head quickly, “no, that’s too risky.”

“What is it?” Sehun asked impatiently.

“It’s out of question but…what if Hector takes the blame and they don’t get to know it was a suicide…”

“Then they’d let me live?” Sehun asked, voice shaking a little.

“Well,” Kai looked at Sehun, “you’d have to rely on Hector’s infatuation with you, which is of course very unreliable to begin with. Trusting Hector is a terrible idea—“

“But what if you took the blame?” Sehun suggested quietly.

Kai stared at him with blank eyes.

“ _Me?_ Forget it.”

“Why not! It’s not like anything will happen to you if you just tell them my time isn’t over yet. They’ll never know.”

“I will be in more trouble than your human mind could ever comprehend,” Kai said with an almost disgusted look on his face, “Death would be a walk in the park compared to the punishments of lying to the higher Angels. If you think anyone would do that to save you from your own fate, you’re sadly mistaken.”

“If there is a way,” Sehun pleaded, stepping closer to the demi-angel, “if there is a way to save my life, would you be able to live with yourself if you didn’t take it?”

Kai didn’t say anything for a while. He stood still, before walking closer to Sehun until they were only inches apart. He stared into Sehun’s eyes with a cold, blank gaze.

“You’re not worth the trouble.”

And with that, he reached his arms around Sehun and pulled him towards his own chest before the human had time to protest, yelling as loud as he could and trying to set himself free from Kai’s grip as the orb of light spread around them and swallowed his screams, taking him into the portal once again.

  
  
  


 

 

When Sehun opened his eyes, he was laying in a bed centred in an extravagant room, the interior similar to that of the guest room he had previously been teleported into. Except this wasn’t the guest room, and he wasn’t alone this time. Sehun pushed himself up with his shoulders, suppressing the nausea that was beginning to feel familiar to him.

“You keep passing out every time we transport,” Kai scoffed, hands in his pockets as he stood leaning against a bureau, “so I put you on my bed this time.”

“I hate you,” Sehun muttered as he struggled to get himself into an upright position, pushing his feet down onto the floor which was covered in something that reminded him of a Persian rug, except the fabric was unlike anything he had seen before. Soft and fluffy and neat, like the fur of an animal. He resisted the urge to reach down and stroke it, standing up and steadying himself by holding onto the giant headboard.

“So this is your dorm?” Sehun asked sourly.

“Yeah,” Kai nodded, looking around, “We rarely come here. Unless you’re getting laid.”

Sehun grimaced, trying hard to ignore the unnecessary information.

“Come on, we’ll be late,” Kai said, before ushering Sehun out of the room.

  


The hallway was so large that every step Sehun took echoed, the ceilings were high and the walls lined with mighty, white pillars. The whole building, really, was white, except for the flowers and decorations in faded, light blues, pinks and greens. The tall, narrow windows had no glass, but were open and let through fresh air from the outside. Sehun tried to get a glance of what was outside as they walked past the windows, but saw only caught a glimpse of a massive courtyard that stretched as far as his eyes could see. There were no people inside, Sehun noticed, and he shot a glance at Kai who was walking in silence, his black hood covering his side profile.

“You better behave in there,” Kai’s voice startled Sehun a little, “this is no place to make a fool out of yourself. If you value your life, you must know your place.”

Sehun could only nod, though Kai couldn’t really see him from the side. It had become pretty apparent to Sehun that the hierarchy of Angels put Kai somewhere at the bottom, whereas a human like Sehun would definitely not be placed any higher.

“Promise me you will at least try to help,” Sehun asked gently. He knew there was no way to trust in anybody here, but a part of Kai had to feel some kind of empathy, right?

“I promise you nothing, but if I see an opportunity that won’t end in my doom, I might step in.”

“How reassuring,” Sehun muttered.

“It wasn’t mean to be,” Kai replied as the corridor ebbed out into a smaller entrance, leading up to a tall, brown gate made up by two doors. Kai stopped for a moment and turned around to face Sehun. His face looked a little more tense than usual, Sehun noticed, and felt his face pale. If Kai was nervous about this, it couldn’t possibly end well for either of them.

“Should we go in?” Sehun asked, looking up at the inscription above the door, _da mihi factum, dabo tibi ius._

“ _Give me the facts, I’ll give you the law_ ,” Kai explained when he saw where Sehun’s eyes had traced, before letting out a sigh, “yeah, let’s go in.”

 

Kai pushed one of the doors open, and Sehun let out a gasp.

Inside the room were large, high desks, tracing the oval outline of the room that surrounded a smaller, empty desk in the middle, no chair present. What made his heart beat faster wasn’t the interior, though, but the… people that sat in them. They couldn’t be human, Sehun thought with his head spinning, when he felt Kai nudge his arm.

He unfroze, forcing himself to step inside, unable to look away from the people sat by the desks. They were large in their build, clad in expensive white fabrics. There were three men and three women, all of them strikingly beautiful, their hair all a matching shade of silver, though their facial features and skin tones varied. All of them seemed to be glowing, their faces powerful in the large, white courtroom that reflected the light from the open windows in the ceiling.

Kai pulled his hood down from his head, before placing one leg out in front of himself and moving to kneel down. Sehun, unsure if he should’ve done the same, hurried to copy him with shaky, unsteady movements.

“Hector?” one of the men, tanned, wide-shouldered and sharp-eyed asked from the highest seat, his vision set on Kai as the demi-angel got up to his feet again.

“He will be here, I presume,” Kai answered, and Sehun shot a glance at the man who had spoken again, freezing when he realised he was looking at him.

“A human,” he said, cocking his head in an amused manner, “here, in our presence. It’s been a while since we saw that.”

Sehun looked at Kai helplessly, feeling his breathing quicken a bit. Was he supposed to answer to that?

“He seems to be… misplaced,” one of the women commented, her lips curling at the edges, “in the wrong realm, of course, but also the wrong reality.”

Kai’s face remained stoic.

“Am I correct, Demi-Angel?”

“I wasn’t sure, but I suspected that might be the case,” Kai answered. He looked uncomfortable. Sehun felt his fists clench by his side. Was there something Kai was hiding from him?

“That’s very strange indeed,” she repeated, her eyes fixed on Kai. It was as if they both knew something he didn’t, and it made Sehun incredibly anxious.

“Ah, he’s here,” one of the Higher angels, a bearded old man, spoke and looked at the door with calm, wise eyes. As if on cue, the door opened and in came none other than Hector. The half-angel lowered to a kneel, bowing his head down respectfully.

“My apologies,” he said in a clear voice, “I have been occupied.”

“We are in no rush, Hector, but let it not be a future habit,” the old man said in a gentle tone, “it’s not a great trait to possess.”

“Alright, you may be seated,” the tanned angel that had addressed Kai first announced from behind his desk, “Hector, you are here by the request of the Higher Angels, as you have broken the rules of your realm and seemingly abused your powers.”

Hector had moved to stand behind the empty desk in the middle. Kai simply stayed put with Sehun along the side, observing in silence. He looked tense, still, Sehun noticed.

“This, as far as I’m concerned, isn’t a huge deal,” one of the women who hadn’t said anything so far spoke in a beautiful, soft voice. Her skin looked warm, like chocolate, her eyes strikingly bright against her skin-tone. She looked magical, “It’s Hector’s past behaviour that concerns me the most.”

“Indeed, Hector, this isn't the first time we’ve seen you here,” the older of the angels spoke, “I doubt it’ll be the last.”

“You may speak, half-angel,” the angel in the highest seat spoke. Hector looked relieved.

“I assure you this was a big misunderstanding,” he explained with a charming smile, “it will, of course, be in everyone’s best interest to reverse the damage and I will take responsibility for my actions, but I must ask you to treat me in accordance to my own mistakes — I am not to blame for the whole situation, I’m afraid.”

“And who else do you suggest be punished?” the older of the higher Angels asked.

“Kai, demi-Angel of Azrael’s, is equally to blame, for he is the one who retrieved the human boy from his realm to begin with,” Hector explained, moderately ignoring the hard glare Kai sent his way, “it may be beneficial to strip him of his duties, as he clearly lacks the good judgement of archangel Azrael.”

“That’s enough,” the small woman cut him off, before she turned to the angel in the highest seat, “Elijah, I believe Hector has proven once again that he is incapable of taking responsibility for his actions. Must we allow him to cause more trouble before it’s handled once and for all?”

“We’ll wait and see, sister,” Elijah spoke, before turning his attention back towards Kai again, “you who carry the mark of Azrael, come to the centre please.”

Kai, bowing his head in submission, walked to the centre of the room dutifully. The look Hector gave him was mildly worrisome. He looked like he was up to something, Sehun thought as he placed his hands behind his back and tapped his foot anxiously as Hector came and stood next to him, towering over Sehun. He gave Sehun a quick grin, which the human didn’t return.

“Kai, previously Kim Jongin?” Elijah asked, looking at Kai with his sharp gaze, “You have transferred a human into the angelic realm without permission or a clear motive. The human now seems to be stuck in a strange intermediate stage of sorts, if I’ve understood correctly.”

Kai’s head was still hung low, his chest rising and falling steadily. Sehun heard Hector snort next to him.

“It’s a strange outcome, I must say, but it has to be undone I’m afraid,” the woman with the striking eyes spoke, “balance must be restored.”

“I agree, Sierra,” the older man spoke in a hoarse voice, “but let the boy speak.”

“Very well,” Elijah nodded “you may speak, demi-Angel.”

Kai inhaled before he looked up, meeting the gaze of the higher Angel in the highest seat.

“Hector had not been entirely truthful,” he said and shot the half-Angel a cold glance, “as he was the one who ordered me to retrieve the boy in the first place. I was under the impression that he would take the boy for himself and that’d be the end of it.”

“Well,” Elijah spoke, twirling a strand of his silvery hair between his fingers, “bringing a human into the demi-Angel’s realms has certainly been done before, as we all know… but it’s the first time I’ve seen a human that is outside of his own reality. Did you do it on purpose?”

“I didn’t,” Kai answered, “I’m sure it can be undone, though.”

Oh.

 _Oh_.

That’s when it clicked. Sehun felt his heart thundering as he realised what was going on.

_“It’s out of question but… what if Hector takes the blame and they don’t get to know it was a suicide…”_

Kai was covering up the fact that Sehun should be dead now.

He was lying to the higher Angels, and for what? To save Sehun?

“Hector, do you deny asking Kai to bring the human into the angelic realm?” Sierra asked.

“I don’t.”

“And Kai, you somehow altered this boy’s reality?”

“It seems like it,” Kai answered.

“I personally think we should erase the boy’s memory and place him back in his human life,” the small woman spoke, “in the correct realm and reality.”

“I don’t know,” Elijah said, intertwining his fingers and placing his hands in front of him as he leaned against the desk, “it’s a rare case we’ve got, maybe we’ll learn something by seeing how it unfolds.”

“We’ll come back to you once we’ve made a decision,” the older man spoke, “but Hector, I want you to stay away from the boy. He’s not your pet.”

“I will,” he mumbled, face flushing a bit.

“Alright, you may leave,” the older of the angels spoke.

“In fact, you _must_ leave,” Elijah added, “Kai, escort the human boy back to his realm at once. Hector, return to your duties.”

Kai bowed his head, before taking Sehun’s arm and pulling him towards himself. Sehun clenched his eyes shut, preparing himself for the transportation back into the human world.

 


End file.
